Saturday, 7 May 2011

Outrider

I've always been a fan of post apocalyptic car combat games, starting off with Death Race 2000 release in 1975 with David Carradine and Sly Stallone.

Another favourite was the original Mad Max starring a very young Mel Gibson.

Back in my youth I enjoyed the old Cars Wars game from Steve Jackson games.

Well there is another new kid on the block with Outrider from Dicefest Games. it normally retails for £6.10 but is currently on sale at £4.88 from Wargames Vault. I bought it last night and it looks a blast.

Outrider is a game of post-apocalyptic vehicular combat that utilizes a unique blend of dice and card mechanics that create a fast-playing, highly detailed and customizable player experience.

Outrider is a 2D print-and-play game designed to quickly turn your pre-apocalyptic kitchen table into a post-apocalyptic warzone. Outrider features easy-to-construct components and is designed to fit standard-sized card sleeves and collectible card tuckboxes. All you need to add is a set of four (4) gaming dice (d6, d8, d10, d12) to hit the road runnin' and gunnin'. Outrider can also be used as the basis for a fully 3D miniatures game by adding 3D terrain and using the largest ready-made range of the most inexpensive miniatures around: 1/64th scale die cast cars!

Fast and Furious
Teachable in ten minutes, the focus of Outrider is to keep things fast and furious. Most games are playable in a hour. Even with six to eight players, the rounds are quick. The movement mechanics are designed to feel more like driving and less like high school geometry.

﻿﻿﻿﻿Players select their vehicles from a set of templates that represent a wide variety of vehicles - each with its own unique characteristics. Players then use dice to customize (and arm) the vehicles. The dice represent the powerplant, weapons, armor and even the driver of the vehicle. Players form Outriding crews to fit the mission, allowing the players to be flexible in their vehicle (and equipment) selections. Some vehciles may be better suited for certain roles but it's always handy to have someone riding shotgun.

Get Behind the Wheel.
Play is centered around a maneuver deck that allows the players to 'program' their action for a turn. Programmable actions include both movement AND attacks - but players need to be careful: Their drivers may not be able to handle EVERYTHING demanded of them, resulting in a possible loss of control.
Gear Up and Roll Out.

The base game includes four variations of the introductory scenario: 'Roadblock.' These scenarios pit teams of Outriders, Texas Rangers and Comanchero Raiders against one another in various situations involving speedtraps, smuggling runs and sting operations. More vehicles, scenarios, terrain, equipment and rules expansion are available in the form of Bolt-Ons, allowing players to customize and scale their Outrider experience for their group or event.

The game is compatible with match box cars but the ones I really fancy are Jada 1/64 Battle Cars, though I can't find a UK distributor yet. Look at this beauty: